Tenacious
adjective /tɪˈneɪʃəs/ — Holding on when anyone else would let go.
Definition
Not giving up; holding firmly to something despite difficulty or opposition.
Beyond the definition
Where resilient describes recovery, tenacious describes the refusal to release. It's the person who keeps going not because they have infinite energy, but because they have an iron grip on why they started.
Origin & history
From Latin tenax — holding fast (tenere 'to hold').
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
She was tenacious in her pursuit of the truth — no number of closed doors stopped her.
His tenacious grip on the details caught an error that would have cost them everything.
The tenacious lawyer had lost this kind of case before — and kept taking them anyway.
Synonyms
persistent, determined, resolute, dogged, unwavering
Antonyms
yielding, irresolute, giving up
Related words
- resilient
- perseverant
- steadfast
- indomitable
Tenacious vs stubborn
Tenacious has a positive connotation of grit and determination in pursuit of a goal. Stubborn is often negative, implying an unreasonable refusal to change one's mind or behavior.
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Guardian before a complex maze
A guardian figure stands at the entrance of a towering, complex maze, presenting an imposing challenge to anyone attempting to pass.
The maze represents a difficult, enduring obstacle, while the guardian signifies the opposition that requires the steadfast, non-giving-up attitude defined by the word in order to navigate through successfully.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration